IF YOU believe the whispers around the league, the Knicks have figured out the player obtained in their celebrated trade of Patrick Ewing is now viewed as the player that needs to leave in order to make this team better.

What does that say about the Knicks management from general manager Scott Layden on down, who said good-bye to their franchise center in exchange for bit parts and Glen Rice, who is being made out to be the reason for everything wrong with the Knicks?

A team with the cap woes the Knicks have can hardly error when it comes to acquiring players with big contracts and big egos. But two months into the season, the club is making moves to rid itself of a player they eagerly embraced when he arrived three months ago.

If the Knicks are indeed shopping Rice, they are admitting what many have suspected since opening night when they were blown out by the Sixers 101-72 at the Garden. Talented players aren’t as talented when forced to play roles that make them uncomfortable.

Clearly, something is seriously wrong with the Knicks. After losing three of their last four games, they had a chance to stop the bleeding with a solid showing against the struggling Celtics last night at the Garden. Instead, the hemorrhaging got worse as the Knicks were embarrassed 92-86.

After taking a 19-9 lead, the Knicks began an offensive meltdown that was reminiscent of three previous losses where they averaged just 67.6 points per game.

The Knicks didn’t score in the final 4:40 of the second quarter, only shot one free throw in the first half (that courtesy of an illegal defense), and were out-defended by a team that had lost six of last eight games coming in.

During one stretch that extended from the second to the third quarter, the Celtics scored 15 unanswered points. After tailing 47-40 at the half, the jump-shooting Knicks were down 69-58 at the end of third quarter and many in the Garden resumed their holiday shopping.

This should have been a night where they welcomed back Larry Johnson, who was out three games due to a knee injury, beat up on the Celtics, then headed to Philadelphia to get even with the Sixers.

Instead, they got outplayed by the Celtics, lost Marcus Camby in the first half to a pulled left groin and continued to look more like a bunch of unstructured players than a team.

“We’re out there trying to figure out what’s going wrong instead of going out there playing,” Latrell Sprewell said.

This isn’t easy on Jeff Van Gundy, who was at first critical of his players’ attitude, but now seems to be pointing the finger at himself.

“I think our guys have done a good job to date. [But] you lose a couple of games and [supposedly] you’ve got to revamp, unload, blame. That’s what happens. It’s up to me to keep us on track and not be distracted by all the peripheral things. With the help of the best players, we’re going to try to fight through it.”

The extended absence of point guard Charlie Ward has only compounded the problem, prompting Van Gundy to experiment with the so-called Big Backcourt of Sprewell, Allan Houston and Rice.

The Big Backcourt has largely come up small. The only time all three players have scored 15 points or more in the same game has been against the Spurs, the Clippers, the Grizzlies, Milwaukee and the Hawks, all wins.

Rice had 32 points last night and Sprewell added 19, but Houston was largely a non-factor shooting 2 for 12 and scoring just four points.

It was difficult enough for Van Gundy to find a productive way for Houston and Sprewell, two offensive-minded two-guards, to play together. Now he is trying to squeeze Rice into the mix, and the result has been an inconsistent offense that relies far too much on the perimeter jump shot. The Celtics shot 41 free throws last night. The Knicks, 9.

“They were taking the ball harder to the basket than we were,” Van Gundy said.

Simply trading Rice isn’t the solution. It’s what the Knicks get in return that’s important, and based on what happened during the offseason, there’s little reason to hope the right acquisition will be made. After all, Rice was supposed to be the perfect fit. Yet, he is being made the early fall guy even though he was the most productive Knick on the court last night.

What’s clear is the Knicks miss Ward, the feisty point guard who was heroic in the playoffs where he shot 50.4 percent from the field and averaged 9.4 points per game, nearly two points above his regular-season average.

With Ward at the point, Sprewell and Houston can concentrate on offense and Sprewell doesn’t have to be overly concerned about posting up the opponents smaller point guard. Ward’s leadership and ability to stay cool amid the most adverse circumstances also is missed.

“It’s up to me to generate a hunger and urgency to know that every possession of every game is important,” Van Gundy said. “That’s very difficult in the NBA. It’s a difficult challenge in that tonight’s game may be the difference between making the playoffs or not making the playoffs, or home court or no home court, or third seed or second seed. Whatever it may be. That’s very difficult for players because, let’s face it, it’s a long season.”